[Assessment of ischemia-reperfusion injury and early acute rejection in experimental lung transplantation after prolonged ischemia]

Abstract

Objective: To assess ischemia-reperfusion injury and early acute rejection of the lung subjected to ischemia for 10 hours.

Material and methods: Fifteen of 30 Sprague-Dawley rats underwent transplantation of a left lung that had been subjected to ischemic times of 4 (n=5), 6 (n=5), or 10 hours (n=5). The cardiopulmonary block was removed from the donor, the left lung was dissected, and the transplant was carried out using the cuff technique. The cardiopulmonary block was extracted after 48 hours. We assessed postoperative progress, ischemia-reperfusion injury and acute rejection of the transplanted and contralateral lungs. Statistical probabilities were analyzed using the chi2 and Fisher exact tests.

Results: Clinical course was not worse after an ischemic time of 10 hours (P=.711). No significant differences were observed in histological markers of ischemia-reperfusion injury and acute rejection or in clinical course in relation to the different ischemic times; nor was clinical course related to the presence or severity of lesions or rejection. Similarly, acute rejection was unrelated to ischemia-reperfusion injury (P>.05).

Conclusions: In this study, a prolonged ischemic time of 10 hours was not associated with ischemia-reperfusion injuries, with more severe acute rejection, or with a worse clinical course. Acute rejection was also unrelated to the presence or severity of ischemia-reperfusion injury.